Failing the journey of a lifetime, the quest to 'know yourself'

I craved certainty, and I felt that I wouldn’t get it in my current frenzied routine. I wanted to know myself again. I wanted to find out what I wanted. And so, I decided to hike.

— Erin Jones

Last summer, writer Erin Jones set out to hike the Colorado Trial, a 500-mile footpath through the Rocky Mountains. (In case you're wondering, it's the same trail that Out There host Willow Belden hiked in 2014, described in Episode 9).

Erin was pursuing her master's degree, and as is so often the case for grad students, her future seemed uncertain. She felt powerless, oppressed by adulthood. And so, she decided to hike. The journey, she hoped, would help her figure out what she wanted, allow her soul to unfurl.

But it didn't work out that way. On this episode, Erin shares the story of her hike -- the story of what happens when you strive for something big, and fail.